Our Communist Party and the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army, led by the Communist Party, are the revolutionary forces. Our team is working entirely for the liberation of the people and for the benefit of the people. Comrade Zhang Side is a comrade in our team.
People always die, but the meaning of death is different. In ancient China, there was a writer called Sima Qian said: People inherently must die: death that is heavier than Mount Tai, or lighter than feather. To die for the benefit of the people is heavier than Mount Tai, and to die for the fascists and for those who exploit and oppress the people is lighter than feather. Comrade Zhang Side died for the benefit of the people, so his death was heavier than That of Mount Tai. - (Serve the People is a speech by Mao Zedong at Zhang Side's memorial service on September 8, 1944.)
我们的共产党和共产党所领导的八路军、新四军,是革命的队伍。我们这个队伍完全是为着解放人民的,是彻底地为人民的利益工作的。张思德同志就是我们这个队伍中的一个同志。
人总是要死的,但死的意义有不同。中国古时候有个文学家叫作司马迁的说过:人固有一死,或重于泰山,或轻于鸿毛。为人民利益而死,就比泰山还重;替法西斯卖力,替剥削人民和压迫人民的人去死,就比鸿毛还轻。张思德同志是为人民利益而死的,他的死是比泰山还要重的。